Madeline Mary McKercher | obituaries

Madeline was born on June 20, 1926, in Saskatchewan Canada to Granger MacPhail and Donnah (Jones) MacPhail, and died on June 25th at her home in Tillamook, Oregon surrounded by her family.

Madeline was the eldest of the three MacPhail girls. She spent most of her childhood in the Peace River area of ​​northwest Alberta, Canada. She attended high school at Canadian Union College in Lacombe, Alberta. In 1946, she immigrated to the United States and attended nursing school at Portland Adventist Sanitarium and Hospital, graduating as a Registered Nurse in 1949.

Upon graduation she was offered a position as a lead nurse on the medical-surgical ward at Portland Adventist Sanitarium and Hospital. While working at there, she was asked if she had considered working in surgery and decided to move into the role of a surgical nurse. It was this experience that led her to a career in anesthesia.

Madeline Mary McKercher

Madeline was accepted into the Madison School of Anesthesia in Madison, Tennessee. She packed her car and drove across country to attend anesthesia school. She graduated in 1955 as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). She worked as a CRNA at various locations across the US, including Alabama, Michigan, Portland, and in the Tri-Cities.

While working in the Tri-Cities she went back to school at Walla Walla College and pursued her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing Education, graduating in 1961.

She met and married Gordon Swanson in 1965 and moved to Seattle, Washington. While in Seattle she worked as a CRNA at Seattle General Hospital. In 1967, they adopted their son Eric and in 1968, their son Leif was born.

In 1970, the Swanson’s would move to Princeton, Minnesota near Gordon’s childhood home. They would divorce in 1972.

In August of 1973, Adventist Health took over the management of Tillamook County General Hospital (TCGH), and they immediately began recruiting for a CRNA. Madeline accepted the position as CRNA and was the first professional recruited to TCGH. She and her boys moved to Tillamook in September of 1973.

During her early years working at TCGH, she would share anesthesia call with Betty Conrad, the CRNA at Rinehart Memorial Hospital in Wheeler, Oregon. During her on-call weekends, she would be responsible for anesthesia at both hospitals. Her boys remember some wild rides, traveling from Tillamook to Wheeler for an emergency surgery!

Madeline worked at TCGH for 22 years, 17 as the only anesthesia provider. She was selected as the Red Rose Nurse twice and was an employee of the month more than once.

Respected for her clinical excellence, she was revered for her ability to start IV’s. It wasn’t uncommon for patients to refuse an IV by any other person. She would be called from home at all hours of the day or night for those who requested her, or for those IV starts that were too difficult for anyone else to attempt. It was a well-known fact that when she retired in 1995, three (3) men were hired to replace her.

After retirement, Madeline moved to Vancouver, Washington. In 1999 Madeline met the love of her life, Robert (Bob) McKercher. They were married in the TCGH Chapel by Pastor Bill Smith in the summer of 2000. Bob’s adult children, Scott (Ruth) McKercher, Tom McKercher and Kit (Chip) Gardes and their children would welcome Madeline into the McKercher family.

In June of 2006, Madeline and Bob moved to Tillamook. Madeline and Bob enjoyed traveling, gardening and growing flowers. Bob died in November of 2006. All the family agreed that Bob and Madeline were at the happiest points in their life during their six years of marriage.

In 2014, Madeline traveled to Ontario, Canada with her cousins ​​Linda and Phil and one of her best friends, Marge Clay, to meet her sister Olena. She had only recently learned that she had a sister living in Ontario. They became fast friends and worked to make up for lost time.

During the last few years of her life, Madeline would spend her time between her home in Tillamook, her son Leif’s home in Sierra Vista, Arizona and Scott and Ruth McKercher’s home in San Diego. She was an avid gardener and loved growing flowers, vegetables and blueberries.

Madeline was blessed with a full life. She decided to go home from the hospital in the care of Adventist Health Hospice and spent the last week of her life visiting with her friends and family. She especially enjoyed her daily visits from her best friends Donna Bechtold and Marge Clay. Madeline died on June 25, 2022, just five days after turning 96, with her sons and daughter-in-law by her side.

Madeline was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Bob, and her sister Glennis. She is survived by her son Eric Swanson of Tillamook, son Leif (Lucia) Swanson of Sierra Vista, Arizona, son Scott (Ruth) McKercher of San Diego, California, daughter Kit (Chip) Gardes of Columbia City, Oregon, son Tom McKercher of Portland, Oregon. Her sisters Doris Petluk, Peace River, Alberta and Olena (Roger) Carrier, Cochrane, Ontario.

Her grandchildren: Tiffany (Josh) Dale, White City, Oregon; Taylor (Misty) Swanson, Beaver, Oregon; Brian (Michelle) Gardes, Portland, Oregon; Ian (Skye) McKercher, San Diego, California; Andrew (Sandy) McKercher, San Diego, California; and Paul McKercher, Seattle, Washington.

She is also survived by her niece Diane (Bob) Strehle, Stevensville, Montana; Nephew Bobby (Jill) Eckdahl, Punta Gorda, Florida; Niece Carol Eckdahl, Vancouver, Washington; Niece Dawna Carrier, Timmins, Ontario; niece Melissa Carrier, Timmins, Ontario; and nephews Jason (Natasha) Carrier, and Brian (Rene’) Carrier, both of Cochrane, Ontario, Steven Petluk and Tim (Lynn) Petluk, both of Peace River, Alberta, and cousins, Linda (Phil) Hearld, Scotts, Michigan . Marilyn (Larry) Oberlander, Flowerfield, Michigan.

Madeline also blessed with nine great-grandchildren.

A memorial service for Madeline is being planned later this year at the Tillamook Seventh-day Adventist Church.

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